With more summer events moved to the fall, should you be concerned about COVID-19 spread?

MADISON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- With easing COVID-19 restrictions, many summer events have been pushed to the fall.

Should you be concerned about a rise in COVID cases as we head into the cooler months?

CBS 58's Kim Shine talked with an expert at UW-Health to find the answer.

Considering the pandemic, much has changed since last summer and fall.

With vaccines available, Dr. Jeff Pothof, chief quality officer at UW Health, says your chance of catching the virus continues to drop.

"You fast forward to fall of 2021 and the landscape has much changed and it is really being driven by vaccination," said Pothof.

And that landscape includes going to large-scale events this year.

Pothof says if you're fully vaccinated you're more protected, whether indoors or outside.

"You know there's always a little bit more risk than outdoor but so little with folks who are fully vaccinated that I don't think you're going to see prohibitions or warnings about going to indoor events," he said.

But Pothof says vaccinations in the state are slowing down.

Just more than 48% of Wisconsinites have gotten at least one dose.

Pothof adds that getting children vaccinated is the next step.

"Certainly once we can get those 2-11 year olds vaccinated it gets really difficult for COVID-19 to make a meaningful comeback unless, for some reason, a new variant is introduced that defeats our immunity. That's the wild card that none of us wants to see but baring that we should be in a pretty good spot."

The doctor still believes herd immunity of 75%-80% should be a widespread goal. Without it, he believes we may see COVID warnings or precautions at events for the unvaccinated.